On Sunday, November 4 netizen Preet Sandhu posted a video on Facebook showing a pregnant woman in pain sitting in a wheelchair right outside the National University Hospital Children’s Emergency Department. Sandhu felt that the suffering woman was ignored by the male nurse attending the department for a full seven minutes, and he even instructed a porter not to take her inside. The hospital has since said they’ve apologized to the woman and her family, and explained their admission process in a Facebook post.
Sandhu’s video captured the lady moaning and groaning in pain. The nurse continued to take care of another patient and ignore the pregnant woman, and the woman was later brought in by the porter. One other woman at the scene was also recorded scolding the male nurse for his neglect of the woman in pain.
The nurse refused to speak to Sandhu, who can be heard narrating the video in an upset tone. At one point, she even claims that NUH had been negligent in providing care to her own father, which is why he died.
She wrote concerning the male nurse, “I spoke up to him and told him about the situation and then only he took notice as he knew I have my phone and has started recording the event. Sad state of affairs we are in.” She lamented the nurse’s rudeness and “don’t-care attitude.”
Since it was posted the video has been seen more than 83,000 times and shared 2,200 times.
The next morning, NUH posted on their Facebook page to clarify the situation, specifically concerning the admission process for patients. The delay in her admission was due to the need for further information. “As part of the process, the screening staff had to obtain some information on the patient and her condition before he could call the delivery suite to arrange for admission.”
NUH’s post also clarified that the woman only waited for 4 minutes upon arrival at the Emergency Medicine Department (EMD).
The hospital admitted that the nurse could have been more caring and assured that they had extended an apology to the woman and her family. “We acknowledge that our staff could have shown more empathy and have since reached out to the patient and her husband to apologise for their experience.”
Here is NUH’s post in full.
We are aware of a Facebook post by a visitor about the registration process for one of our patients at our Emergency Medicine Department (EMD). The post stated that our patient was unassisted for seven minutes outside the EMD.
The hospital views this matter seriously and we have looked into it. Based on our CCTV records, our patient was transferred to the delivery suite four minutes on arrival to our EMD on Sunday (4 Nov 2018).
She arrived at our EMD at 11.16am and took a seat outside the EMD while her husband approached the screening counter at the entrance. As part of the process, the screening staff had to obtain some information on the patient and her condition before he could call the delivery suite to arrange for admission.
In the meantime, a porter wheeled her into the EMD at 11:18 am. At 11.20am, the patient was transferred to the delivery suite.
We acknowledge that our staff could have shown more empathy and have since reached out to the patient and her husband to apologise for their experience.
We are happy to share that the patient delivered last evening and both mother and child are doing well.